Key Points

Long-term survivors were more likely to present at < 3 or > 10 years of age, to have longer symptom duration, and to have received systemic therapy at diagnosis.

Long-term survivors were more likely to have HIST1H3B mutation.

In a report from the diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) registries of the International and European Societies for Pediatric Oncology, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Hoffman et al identified characteristics of long-term survivors among pediatric and young adult patients with the disease.

The study involved data from 1,008 patients with radiographically confirmed DIPG from registry databases in North America, Australia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, and Croatia.

The investigators concluded, “We report clinical, radiologic, and molecular factors that correlate with survival in children and young adults with DIPG, which are important for risk stratification in future clinical trials.”

The study was supported by the Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma Collaborative, The Cure Starts Now Foundation, Hope for Caroline Foundation, Julian Boivin Courage for Cures Foundation, Abbie’s Army, and many others.